The strategy that Garcillano is apparently taking is the so-called “peanut butter approach.” In coming out with names of politicians who have also called him, he is trying to dispense the guilt hoping that those who might have been caught on the illegal wiretapped tapes talking to him would have less of the culpability.

Of course it does not work that way. The peanut butter approach merely spreads the guilt around and does not clear anybody at all.

Garcillano can only clear President Arroyo of all suspicions if he directly confronts the issue of the Hello Garci tapes. He says that the tapes that the public have been hearing were spliced and had been corrupted. He should explain why this is so. Evading the issue of the wiretapped tapes would not help clear the name of the President nor will any move to implicate other people including leaders of the opposition.

Philippine Commentary is convinced, though, that Garci’s gambit is to hide behind the concept of statements on the tape being sub judice, and thus forbidden, because he’s filed a case before the Supreme Court questioning the use of the tapes as evidence. PCIJ quotes similar views from Ramon Casiple. TheFree Pressgives it’s usual punchy rundown of the impending testimony.

dodong

Garci’s statements were not made to exonerate the President. Obviously, the media is missing the point. It has nothing to do with spreading the guilt around (media presumes guilt instead of ones innocence, we call bad journalism).

Garci’s statements provide the picture that all politicians (be in the government or so-called oppositions) had equal opportunity and used his services. It is enough for the ordinary Filipino to know that. And that is driving the apathy of the masses.